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Why do some yoga books have a whole bunch of poses and sequences, while others have only a handful?

Dec 24, 2006 by shlickshlock | Posted in Diet & Fitness

Are there different types of power yoga? How are hatha, asana, astanga, and asana yoga related? I want a book that includes all of the possible movements. How do these people go about choosing the exercises and poses that they include in their book? Why not just include all of the movements? Can you just take any of the poses and make up your own sequences? Or are there certain ones that need to go together? I can't find a satisfying yoga book because I feel like if I choose one, I'll be missing out on stuff that might be in other books. Is there a book that contains it all?

Yoga is a vast science and art.

Sage Patanjali is said to be the father of yoga as he is credited as the one who transcribed what was previously only an oral tradition.

Patanjali's 'Yoga Sutras' is the definitive text of yoga; yet it is not easily understood by someone who is new to yoga as its 'sutras' are 'threads' of condensed information and the original language is Sanskrit - a language that attempts to convey wholeness through its vibration.

The 'Yoga Sutras' does not provide any detailed descriptions of poses; yet it does include a description of Astanga Yoga (the 8 limbs of Yoga) and 'Asana' or physical postures is the third limb of the 8 limbs.

So Astanga Yoga in its original context comes from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali; Astanga Yoga has been marketed as 'Power Yoga' , 'Hot Yoga' , 'Bikram Yoga' and a couple of other names by folks who have focused on some of the health benefits available through the practice; the poses they include/exclude (and other aspects of the practice) are determined by sales and marketing.

Hatha Yoga is the union of solar and lunar (male-female) energies that uses poses as its foundatin and like 'Astanga' it has been presented and marketed under a variety of other names (folks like B K S Iyengar, Kripalvananda, Vishnudevananda/Shivananda and others have particular approaches of Hatha Yoga that are named for them).

In general yoga has two approaches that have been practiced for thousands of years; the one that is more dominant in the North and East of India is more centered on the energy body and is more esoteric in its approach; the other approach is more physical; it is dominant in the South and West of India and it is the approach that has influenced most folks outside of India.

Since Patanjali there have been many great yogis and about 100 years ago T K V Krishnamacharya was considered to be 'the' yogi of South India. Krishnamacharya had a number of excellent students like Indra Devi, B K S Iyengar, Patthabi Jois, and his son Desichar... each of these now have yoga forms that are named for them in some way or another.

B K S Iyengar's book 'Light on Yoga' is one of the best reference books on yoga; it was written circa 1960 - B K S Iyengar is still living and he has written a number of other yoga books since 'Light on Yoga' was published.

So 'Light on Yoga ' is a comprehensive work (it includes some 600 photos of yoga poses, their descriptions, and how the poses/practices are grouped) yet newer books by B K S Iyengar and his students make the material more accessible.

Patthabi Jois' approach to yoga is what others have marketed as 'Astanga Yoga/Power Yoga' - there are a number of books by his students that describe the different series of poses that he promotes.

Namaste'
James

Yoga

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